Machine for rotating signs, displays, etc.



June, 7, 1960 G. P MARGETTS l 2,939,330

MACHINE FOR ROTATING SIGNS, DISPLAYS, ETC. Filed may 11. 195g Mmmm Y INVENTOR GEORGE PHILLIP MARGETT'S Wfl/Alm? Y/////////4|W///////,z /o BY www? /a ZM Y ATTORNEYS 2,939,330 MACHINE FOR ROTATINGASIGNS, DISPLAYS, ETC.

George Phillip Margetts 3785 Ash Circle sau Lake citi, Utah Filed May 11, 1959, ser. No. 812,200

. 4 claims. {ctn- 411) 2,939,330 Patented June 19.6*0

IC@V

In the drawing: i

Fig. 1 represents a front elevationof the machine as constructed for rotating an outdoor, electrical, display slsn;

Fig. 2, a top plan view of the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, an axial vertical section taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4, a detail horizontal section taken 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing:

As illustrated, the machine is particularly adapted for mounting on a supporting post (not shown) with a sign surrounding and covering it. A mounting base 10 is provided with bolt holes 11, so that the machine may be rigidly bolted to the'top of such post or to some other on the line stationary support about which the sign can rotate.

usually equipped -With readily adjustable safety clutches, l

which maintain positive Vdrive relationship between the motor andthe sign at alltimes, except when excessive and dangerous counter-torque is exerted on the sign by an external force, such as wind. fGiven proper adjustment, the clutch permits slippage .to accommodate the countertorque `existing under. such `an, exceptional condition.

As constructed heretofore, sign-turning machines. have had theirn clutch mechanisms exposed to the Weather` Constant supervisionhasibeen required to maintainthe safety'feature. I e Y,

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a sign-turning machine o f simple, economical, and sturdy construction, having. torque-limiting mechanism completely protected fromthe weather and from tampering.

A feature ofthe invention infthe accomplishment of thisobjectis theutilization of a completely rigid shaft, a lubricant-containing, power transmission-gear box through which vthe shaft extends and which serves as an important component of the drive means for. rotating the sign, and a torque-limiting coupling between thelshaft and a shaftencircling, powerl transmission gear within the gear box.

In this fway, the torque-limiting coupling is completely protected from the weather by being located within the gear box.V No adjustment is necessary nor desirable, for the coupling is constructed to providerequisitesafety. -I have found that the presence of gear lubricant Within the gear box in intimate association with the torque-limiting coupling d oes not interfere with proper functioning of the latter, but, rather, protects it -against the rust and corrosion which so often interferes Vvwith the proper functioning of clutch mechanisms associated with conventional signturning units. i Y A Y Another important object is to provide a construction wherein the gear box may be easily and conveniently removed from an installed machine, for servicing or repair, without disturbingthe support afforded `the sign by the machine.r-"f. v

This is accomplished by adequately supporting the shaft independently of the gear box, a feature of the invention being that a sleeve equipped with bearings serves to journal the shaft exteriorly of the gear box and to mount a v sign on the machine, or to mount the machine m'th respect to a support, as the case may be, and that the gear box portion of the shaft is removable from the remainder of the shaft and the gear box is removably attached to the sleeve.

Further objects and lfeatures of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the particular preferred embodiments illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

A shaft 12 extends from rigid securement, as by means of a pressed fit, to a hub portion 10a of the mounting base 10, a keying screw 13 being advantageously employed to give greater resistance to torque loads imposed upon the shaft.

The sign is rotatably mounted on shaft 12 by means of a mounting sleeve 14, which is equipped with antifriction bearings 15 of thrust absorbing, radial type that serve to journal an intermediate portion of the shaft. A frame 16, rigidly attached to mounting sleeve 14 as by means of cap screws 17, serves as securement for the sign properand as a means for mounting an electric` drive motor 18. Sleeve 14 and frame 16 and the sign attached thereto lare rotated relative to base *10 and shaft 12. l. a

In somevinstances, it may be preferred to reverse the machine and mount frame 16 on the post and the sign on mounting base 10. This may be done Without ditiiculty. Under such circumstances, base 10 and shaft 12 rotate relativeto sleeve 14 and frame 16.

For driving the rotatable parts of the machine, a power transmission gear box'19 is rigidly secured to mounting sleeve 14, preferably removable as by means ofcap screws 20, shaft 12 extending therethrough and being journaled therein by antifriction bearings 21.

As mentioned hereinbefore, quick and convenient removability of gear box 19 for servicing or repair is a feature of this invention. To this end, the portion of shaft 12 that passes through gear box 19 is made as a separable section 12-1. In the present construction, see Fig. V3, the adjoining ends of such shaft section 12-1 and the shaft proper 12 are splined and rigidly joined by a mating collar 22, which permits shaft section 12-1 to be easily slipped out and replaced, axially, as gearbox 19 is lifted from and replaced on mounting sleeve 14.

Gear box 19 contains customary gearing, here shown as a double reduction worm gear drive adapted fto transmit power at reduced speed from an input shaft 23 to a Worm gear 24 encircling and coupled to shaftsection 12-\1. Such gear box is adapted to containgearlubricant in customary manner. 'Y

The drive pulley 25 #of motor 18 is connected by belt 26 to driven pulley 27, which is mou ted on input shaft 23 exteriorly of the gear box.

For the purpose of limiting the amount of torque that can be imposed on shaft 12. and, therefore, the amount of stress that can be imposed on the driving mechanism in general, worm gear 24 is freely rotatable with respect to shaft section 12-1 on which it is mounted, but is frictionally coupled thereto by torque-limiting plates 28 and 29 of disk formation, which are themselves splined to shaft section 12-1 so as to be non-rotatable relative thereto but movable axially therealong and which are disposed in face-to-face relationship with worm gear 24 at respectively opposite sides thereof. Constant loading springs 30, preferably of Belleville type, bear against friction disk 29, pressing it tightly against Worm gear 24 Y 3 I and, in turn, pressing such t tion disk 28.V Axial movement of friction disk 28m the direction of the pressure exerted against it is prevented by an annular shoulder 12a proiectingfrom shaft section 121-1.` A stepped retainer ring 31, held in Yp laceby a resilient'loclcring 32- which isA snapped into anjannular i'ifceivingrecessV inshaft sectionf Y12-d'1, serves to hold springsA 30 under compression. i Y,

Thedisks 28 land 29 andy he worm'gear 24^ar e mutually diierent structural materials havingwidely' dierent degrees of hardness, so as tofrictionally interlock under conditions `of normal torque and to, in eiect, act as a brake which holds the sign from turningrin thegdirection ,of forces, such as windload'fexerting counter-*torque thereon. If, howevensuch counter-torque forces become sofgreat'as to threatenrdamagento the mechanism, the

braking Yaction gives way and the braking disks vand worm gear slip relative to eachother. It is preferred to make the braking disks of hardened steel .andthe worm gear of-bronze.

Any Ywear between the brakingdisks 'and the worm gear is immediately and automatically taken up by the springs, although wear is kept to a minimum by reason of the fact that such disks and gear are constantly bathed in oil. By using a constant loading or zero rate, Belleville spring, the brakingY action remains substantially uniform despite change in compression brought about through wear.

In lassembling the machine, the required number of Belleville springs to establish a'selected Ytorque limit are employed. They are preferablyvcompressed to a maximum Awhen-installed.

lAs isjcommo'n 1n sign-turning machines of the type concerned, shaft 12 andfmounting base 10 are hollow and open-ended to conveniently accommodate Vthe electrical wiring (not shown) Lwhich, powers the sign, and an electrical commutatorassembly 33 is secured to the free end of the shaft. Y 'y It should be noted thatn-lounting sleeve 7,14 and its bearings 15 absorb the entire load Yof the sign, as well as any bending or twisting momentsoftforcethat maybe imparted yduring use. No load is imparted .to `gearbox 19 and its bearings 21. d .Y Y Y fIt should also be notedjthat the setting'fofrcountertorque limit by selection of an appropriate number of constant loading Belleville springs means that noadjust-V nientl is necessary'throughout the useful life ,of the machine and that constant lubrication, protection fromY the weather, and protection from tampering can be eiectively obtained.V V Y i f Whereas this invention is here specifically illustrated and describedj with respect. to only one embodiment thereof, it should be realized that various changes may be made and various other structural forms may be utilized without Ydeparting from the essential contributions to the art made by theL teachings hereof and deiined by the claims -which follow.

I claim:

l. In a sign-turning machine vhaving a completely rigid, rotary, hollowshaft provided with electrical commutator means-at .one end land mounting means at the other end, means for -rotating said shaft, comprising a lubricant-conworm gear tightly against frictaining, power transmission gear box through which said shaft extends; bearing means journaling said lshaft with respect to said gear box; a worm gear within said gear box encircling said shaft in freely rotatable relationship therewith; torque-limiting plates encircling and splined to said shaft in face-to-face, pressure-exerting relationship with the worm gear; constant loading spring means establishing a predetermined, torque-limiting pressure between saidrplates andthe worm gear', sadfplates and,worm gear being of `structuralmaterial havingwidely diiering degrees of hardness so `as toeiect frictionally locked interengagement under conditions of normal torque but permitting relative rotation Quader' conditions of excessive torque; drive means; power transmissiongears within said gear box interconnecting the drive means with said worm gear; and second mounting means having bearings journaling said shaft between the rst mounting means and saidgearbox.r Y p 2. The 'combiationsetforth in` claimrl, wherein the portion of the shaft whichis journaled by the gear box is formed as a separate section; wherein there are Provided means rigidly but removably connecting said portionwith the remainderV of the'shaft; and wherein there are provided means removably fastening said gear boxrto the second mountingmeans. Y A

3. A rotating machine, Vcomprising aY completely rigid shaft; means;` for. mounting said shaft ona stationary support; means for mounting a thing to be rotated on said shaft; a lubricant-containing',l `power transmission, gear box through whichv said' shaftV extends; bearing means journaling said shaft with respect to said' gearbox; a worm gear within said gear box encircling Vsaid shaftV in freely rotatable. relationship therewith; i torque-limitingV Vplates encircling and'splined to said shaft in face-to-face, pressure-exerting relationship with the kWorm gear; constant loading spring means establishing a predetermined, torquelimiting spressure betweensaid,platesandY the Aworm gear, said plates and worm gear being of ,structural material having widely .diierng degreesV of hardness so as to eifectfrictionally locked nterengagement under conditionsof normal torque but permitting relative rotav. jReferencesCitedinthefleofvthispatent i s UNITED STATES PATENTS y1,469,780 ,v Deany Nov. 12,V 1919 1,699,463 Cresci Aug. 15, 1927 1,740,845 Tilbe Nov. 20, 1928 i 1,989,869 Kohn Feb. 5, 1935 2,084,808 VHyde Iune 22, 1937 2,284,672 Y Merkle f June 2, 1942 Merkle Dec. 13,A 1946 

